Inclusion in Tech
Eight years ago, observing a man who could not see working at NASA, I was inspired. Delightfully inspired.
He is blind, and helps people travel to outer space… how cool is that?!
Dr. James Stevenson worked for 35 years conducting research on safety, auditory displays, artificial intelligence and neural networks. As an intern in the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames Research Center, I had the privilege of knowing him.
He showed me how he used a computer program that would read content for him to listen to, and thus hear emails and listen to websites. He showed me how he could navigate the halls and kitchen area, by counting steps. He did everything that everyone else was doing, without being able to see.
He taught me that each person can find a way to achieve and contribute.
Now, working at a Labs office of the largest software company in Latin America, I am witnessing more inspiring stories of people achieving and contributing, despite adversity.
Leading the Way in Latin America
TOTVS S.A., a large enterprise software company based in São Paulo, Brazil has a strong commitment to social responsibility and inclusive hiring processes, and has become one of the model companies for inclusion in tech.
There is a 25-year-old law, known as the "quota law" in Brazil that companies must hire between 2–5% of employees who have a disability, or who have been rehabilitated from an injury or other circumstance. Although companies should abide by the law, in practice, compliance rarely becomes a reality. This leaves many people excluded from gainful employment, not to mention fulfilling careers.
Some companies hire employees with disabilities to satisfy their quota, however do not invest in training (both for employees with disabilities and for employees already at the company) to allow them to transition well into their new teams and make use of their skills. Furthermore, studies have identified that companies who include a more diverse group of employees experience greater profits.
Of course, the problem of exclusion begins much earlier in the pipeline due to the educational system's lack of resources and adaptive instruction for those with disabilities.
A broadcast from the Brazilian television channel SBT focused on people with auditory disabilities, exposing an alarming statistic: only 1% of those who are deaf are included in the Brazilian workforce.
In the SBT interview with TOTVS, many of the managers and coworkers praised the superior focus of their team members who cannot hear, citing that they are able to perform higher-level analytical tasks without all of the auditory distractions.
TOTVS has held training sessions with employees to learn sign language so that they can communicate better with their coworkers who are hearing-impaired. The original session was so popular among employees that a second was needed to accommodate all who were interested in learning.
People with disabilities have a lot to contribute to the workforce. Still, the challenge in many regions remains in equal education, social inclusion, and inclusive hiring practices.
A Model Pathway Program
TOTVS partnered with a non-profit organization, IOS (Institute for Social Opportunity), to strengthen the pathway from education to industry for people with disabilities and people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and has achieved great success in training people for tech jobs.
Students can participate in the IOS educational programs free of cost, and gain valuable skills that prepare them for the global tech economy. Students are engaged in a project-based learning classroom style, focusing on real examples from the workplace, and the teacher serves not only as a lecturer, but also as a facilitator.
There are interpreters present in IOS classrooms so that students who cannot hear are able to participate with sign language. Also, in recent months, IOS has made progress in including those who cannot see with adapted materials written in Braille.
Since 2009, IOS has trained and facilitated the pathway for 325 students who graduated and began employment at TOTVS. An estimated 25% of these graduates have a disability.
New Technologies Can Increase Participation
Now, more than ever, people can utilize new devices and apps that allow for greater inclusion. Here are some examples of the wonderful new tools that can improve people's lives.
For those who have visual impairments, there is a new smart watch, Dot, that can relay messages, posts, and books. The device is cheaper than previous e-Braille technology. For those who speak sign language, there is UNI, a two-way communication technology that translates hand and finger movements into text, while also translating speech into sign language.
Smart Glasses can assist people with blindness to detect objects by accentuating the difference between light and dark in the visual field of the wearer. It is estimated that 90% of those with blindness can detect some levels of light and dark.
Hand Talk, an app created by Brazilian Ronaldo Tenório, uses a cartoon man named Hugo to translate speech, text, and even images into Libras (Brazilian sign language, or Língua brasileira de sinais). Next steps are to program Hugo to speak more languages, like American Sign Language (ASL), in order to assist more people worldwide.
Improvements Can be Made
Despite all the new technology, there is still much work to be done to include people with disabilities in the tech pipeline. According to the US National Council on Disability's Power of Digital Inclusion Report, despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990, an increase in presence of people with disabilities in the workplace has not occurred. Especially not in tech.
We need more social connections to support the pipeline, and we need employers to be ready to receive professionals who have disabilities.
As Raquel Luzardo, a phonoaudiologist interviewed in the SBT interview, aptly pointed out, "the only difference is that deaf people don't hear. That's it. They do everything just like everyone else."
Although some companies have made strides in including people with disabilities, there is still work to be done regarding accessibility of products. Primarily, software is rarely accessible for employees or customers with visual impairments. It is imperative that developers think about accessibility when developing new technologies, and have solutions embedded into the product.
TOTVS Labs Front End Engineer Matt Stow has created a slide deck with best practices regarding accessibility for web.
Please share with Developers and HR professionals so that we may continue the progress towards inclusion in tech.
Sources
Building a Better, Accessible Web. Matt Stow, 2016.
Desemprego entre os Surdos: Apenas 1% tem carteira assinada. PRIMEIRO IMPACTO/SBT/SÃO PAULO, VEICULADA EM 27/09/2016 07:05
Funcionários da TOTVS recebem treinamento gratuito em Libras. TI Bahía, 5/10/2016.
Lei de cotas para pessoas com deficiência completa 25 anos. Economia e Emprego, 7/25/2016.
Love Mondays traz empresas que investem em políticas de diversidade. PROFISSIONAL & NEGÓCIOS, 10/14/2016.
Power of Digital Inclusion Report. US National Council on Disability, 10/04/2011.
The Business Case For Diversity In The Workplace. Jacob Shriar, 4/26/2016.
